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America for Beginners by Leah Franqui
Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert
Careless Whiskers by Miranda James
Catstronauts: Digital Disaster by Drew Brockington
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty
Dehaunting by J.A. White
Family Tree, Volume 1: Sapling by Jeff Lemire and Phil Hester
For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black and Janina Edwards (narrator)
The Forest of Stars by Heather Kassner
Gargantis by Thomas Taylor
Kerry and the Knight of the Forest by Andi Watson
Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger and Emily Woo Zeller
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
A Man and His Cat, Volume 1 by Umi Sakurai
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Minor Mage by T. Kingfisher
The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Parachutes by Kelly Yang
Restaurant to Another World Volume 1 by Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami
River of Dreams by Jan Nash
Sandhill Cranes by Lynn M. Stone
School-Tripped by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Shot in the Dark by Cleo Coyle
Some Enchanted Éclair by Bailey Cates and Amy Rubinate
Still Life by Louise Penny
Tempest in a Teapot by Amanda Cooper
Time for Bed, Fred! by Yasmeen Ismail
Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany

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Dehaunting: 09/19/20

Dehaunting

Dehaunting by J.A. White is the sequel to Archimancy (2019). Cordelia, Benji and Agnes have permission to continue their work of helping ghosts over the summer break, until the nephew of the school's architect (and resident poltergeist) starts exploring the school, hoping to learn all he can about the ghosts. The principal rescinds her offer and the kids aren't allowed back until the first day of school.

When they arrive for the first day of school, things are different. Ghosts have started refusing their brightkeys. The teachers are acting strange. There seems to be a plague of headaches among the staff.

The other big news is there might be a way to automate the brightkey process, effectively dehaunting the school. With the chance of being able to do stuff other than helping ghosts is one of a few divisive items in the kids' lives and friendship.

Like the first book, this volume is tightly crafted. Details in the first chapter have lasting effects through to the end. Be observant and see if you can solve things before they do!

Like Archimancy, Dehaunting is on the Road Narrative Spectrum. The children having earned the trust of their principal and with their skills at seeing and helping ghosts, have changed from marginalized travelers to privileged ones (00). Their status change also signals that this book is more ensconced in the horror genre than the previous volume.

As this is still a ghost story, the destination remains uhoria (CC). Here they need to learn more about Elijah Shadow's life as well as lives of the phantoms he took care of before building the Shadow house.

This time, though, the route taken is the labyrinth (99). While there remains danger in the school, it's primarily the teachers who are at risk. The trio, and their extended group of friends, know most of the secrets of the school and its architecture. Knowledge keeps the blind alleys and other en route dangers at a minimum.

All together, Dehaunting can be summarized as privileged travelers going through uhoria via the labyrinth.

Five stars

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